Canadiens Wrap: Hughes Gameplan, Trades, Underrated Skaters

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every breaking news story.

Every Sunday we will recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly “open for business” when it comes to the goaltending situation. They need to find a new home for one of Jake Allen, Casey DeSmith, or Samuel Montembeault. [Montreal Canadiens Reportedly Open To Trading Goaltenders]

Tuesday

• The deadline to sign NCAA players passed, meaning several free-agent college players are now on the market. .[Canadiens Prospects’ Teammates Set To Become Free Agents]
• The Habs sent Jeff Petry (50 percent retained) to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick and defenceman Gustav Lindstrom. [Canadiens Trade Petry For Lindstrom And Pick]

Wednesday

• On the surface, the mere fact that the Canadiens have not mentioned Petry other than in the original press release has led many to believe there’s an impending trade. But for now, Petry is once again a member of the Canadiens, leaving the team with several possibilities as to his future with the franchise. [Montreal Canadiens Have Many Options For Jeff Petry’s Future]
• If the team does want to move Petry as soon as possible, they may be able to find a dance partner in the Western Conference. According to hockey insider Chris Johnston, the Dallas Stars have shown interest in acquiring the 35-year-old defenceman in the past. [Stars Could Be Trade Partners For Canadiens Defenceman Petry]
• You’d be hard-pressed to argue the Canadiens got decent value for Petry, especially since they used up one of their precious retention slots. [INSTANT ANALYSIS: Canadiens Quickly Move On From Petry]

Thursday

• Kent Hughes confirmed what we already knew in his media call following the latest Jeff Petry trade: Paul Byron’s playing career is over. But finding him a gig with the team shouldn’t be complicated.[Finding A Role For Paul Byron Should Be Easy For The Canadiens]
• After unloading Petry, the plan for the Habs is quite clear. Hughes is going to do everything he can to maximize their salary cap situation before the start of the season. [Canadiens Kent Hughes Outlines Gameplan To Start Season]

Friday

• The Petry trade was one of Hughes’ lowest returns to date, but at the very least he used the opportunity to improve the Canadiens’ perception around the league. [Canadiens Kent Hughes Changing Perception Of Canadiens]
• In this week’s mailbag, we discuss the most underrated players in team history, where Alex Newhook will play, the goalie situation, the various prospects in the organization, why I’m still not over a few decisions made by Michel Therrien almost 20 years ago, and much more. [Habs Mailbag: Most Underrated Habs, Waivers, Newhook, Trades]

Saturday

• The Montreal Canadiens aren’t going to have it easy this season, leading to growing pains that management is expecting will help the team in the long run. [Canadiens Hughes Sets Expectations Within Bolstered Division]
• Hughes discussed the possibility of trading goaltender Casey DeSmith, who was acquired in the three-way trade that saw Erik Karlsson head to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But finding a home for DeSmith won’t be easy, and Hughes knows it. [Montreal Canadiens Options For Trading Casey DeSmith]